Biometric ID company CLEAR announced Monday that its Health Pass for verifying COVID-19 vaccination now integrates with the Apple Health app.

iPhone users on iOS15 who store their vaccination records in the Health app can share that information with the CLEAR Health Pass to confirm their vaccination status and identity, so they can go places that require proof of vaccination. 

"CLEAR's Health Pass has always been about empowering people with greater access and control over their own health information," Caryn Seidman-Becker, CLEAR's CEO, said in a statement.

"With this integration with the Apple Health app, we are helping more people safely and seamlessly get back to what they know and love — whether it's attending a football game or getting a table at your local restaurant."

WHY IT MATTERS

Nearly 56% of the total U.S. population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 3% of the fully vaccinated have received a booster shot as those doses begin to roll out to some Americans. 

Last month, President Joe Biden announced sweeping vaccine mandates that require employers with more than 100 workers to mandate COVID-19 vaccines or weekly tests, as well as a rule requiring executive branch employees and contractors to get the shot. 

Workers at healthcare facilities that receive Medicare or Medicaid funds will also need to be fully vaccinated.

Although 62% of those surveyed by the Kaiser Family Foundation supported hospitals and other healthcare facilities requiring their workers to get vaccinated, only 48% thought employers in general should mandate their employees get the shot. 

THE LARGER TREND

As vaccination requirements become more common, companies are offering digital solutions to help verify vaccination status.

In August, CLEAR partnered with reservation service OpenTable to help restaurants screen for vaccinated customers. 

Pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts recently rolled out a new feature on its app allowing members who got their shot at a retail pharmacy to access their records. 

In July, Google launched the COVID Card API for Android to store and display vaccine and test information. 

Meanwhile, Apple has been expanding its capabilities to share health data. Their newest feature, announced in June, puts patients in charge, allowing them to share their health information with providers and family caregivers.